simplicimus:I've got on. Never see the buggers, but can see the guano.

lawnchair + sunset + handy view of the box = see them maybe.They go by pretty quick and not exactly in a straight line, in bad light, might not be much more than know it just went by...close enough and you can hear it go by too... still worth doing one night, especially with the kids if you have any.

I think for most country-folk, this has been common knowledge for ages.Now that I'm living in an apartment instead of in the sticks, we still get the occasional bat. It's odd watching people freak out over them. "Do you hate mosquitoes," I'll ask. "Then leave the bat alone."

GreenAdder:I think for most country-folk, this has been common knowledge for ages.Now that I'm living in an apartment instead of in the sticks, we still get the occasional bat. It's odd watching people freak out over them. "Do you hate mosquitoes," I'll ask. "Then leave the bat alone."

Yeah, and I've heard the myth about bats getting tangled in your hair, a lot. Echolocation doesn't work that way.

There's a network of abandoned mining tunnels in Pilot Knob mountain in Pilot Knob, Missouri. The upper portion of the knob, where the tunnel entrances/exits are, is now the Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge and is closed to the public, in order to protect the bats, particularly necessary during their hibernation season. A third of all Indiana Bats in the world live there. Were their hibernation to be interrupted, most of the bats would not have enough stored fat to survive to spring, and the mosquito population in the entire Midwest would explode, bringing a massive increase in West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases.

HopScotchNSoda:There's a network of abandoned mining tunnels in Pilot Knob mountain in Pilot Knob, Missouri. The upper portion of the knob, where the tunnel entrances/exits are, is now the Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge and is closed to the public, in order to protect the bats, particularly necessary during their hibernation season. A third of all Indiana Bats in the world live there. Were their hibernation to be interrupted, most of the bats would not have enough stored fat to survive to spring, and the mosquito population in the entire Midwest would explode, bringing a massive increase in West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Hope you don't get white nose syndrome down there, or whatever it is called. It's been killing bats in huge numbers.

Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

HopScotchNSoda:There's a network of abandoned mining tunnels in Pilot Knob mountain in Pilot Knob, Missouri. The upper portion of the knob, where the tunnel entrances/exits are, is now the Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge and is closed to the public, in order to protect the bats, particularly necessary during their hibernation season. A third of all Indiana Bats in the world live there. Were their hibernation to be interrupted, most of the bats would not have enough stored fat to survive to spring, and the mosquito population in the entire Midwest would explode, bringing a massive increase in West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases.

And those who live in Austin TX can tell you about the huge number of bats that come out from under the bridges at dusk.

styckx:Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

simplicimus:styckx: Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

styckx:simplicimus: styckx: Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

styckx:simplicimus: styckx: Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

Really not the worst possible outcome.

Bat guano isn't exactly healthy for you.

[www.batguys.com image 850x637]

No, but it is how our forebears made gunpowder, so... that guy should be cited by the BATF for improper storage of nitrates, or something.

nytmare:What do they mean, "only" 1% are rabid? So if your bat cave has 1000 bats, 10 of them will kill you and your dogs as you frolic in the yard?

Yes that is exactly what they mean. Sort of, what really will happen is those 10 bats will carry you off back to the cave, they will wrap you in some voodoo/rabies web/cocoon and they will feed on you and your dog for weeks, until you are both dead... and no one will ever find you or your dog. Especially your dog.Sleep tight...

sno man:nytmare: What do they mean, "only" 1% are rabid? So if your bat cave has 1000 bats, 10 of them will kill you and your dogs as you frolic in the yard?

Yes that is exactly what they mean. Sort of, what really will happen is those 10 bats will carry you off back to the cave, they will wrap you in some voodoo/rabies web/cocoon and they will feed on you and your dog for weeks, until you are both dead... and no one will ever find you or your dog. Especially your dog.Sleep tight...

No, the bat will carry you off and dump you without your black key right in front of Yorgle.

simplicimus:I've got on. Never see the buggers, but can see the guano.

Here in Georgia I just sit on my porch at dusk and see lots of bats.

I swear on my peener that one night I spit off the porch and a bat came within a foot of my face going after it. Scared the bejebus outta me!

Hmmm, it's that time of year where a bahzillion bugs and hundreds of bats can be seen off the porch of Summits Wayside Tavern in Cumming, GA. It's nothing like the bats in Austin, TX; it's just that a lot of bugs are attracted by the lights in the parking lot there and the lights from a billboard across the street and HUNDREDS of bats are out there chowing down.

GreenAdder:I think for most country-folk, this has been common knowledge for ages.Now that I'm living in an apartment instead of in the sticks, we still get the occasional bat. It's odd watching people freak out over them. "Do you hate mosquitoes," I'll ask. "Then leave the bat alone."

Um, yep, this.

We have a bat house sitting that needs to get put up (and find a way to get ti up high enough). We still have a respectable number, apparently, from what I catch glimpses of at night.

That + dry as heck effing drought meaning the creek was bone dry most of the summer = hardly any mosquitoes.

Here, at least. Got bit to hell and back tonight at work. My ankles are torn up from bites and itching.

/still not about to wear pants and socks yet//still summer skirt weather dammit

simplicimus:And those who live in Austin TX can tell you about the huge number of bats that come out from under the bridges at dusk.

I was in Austin for a week-end of continuing legal education back in 2001 or 2002. The hotel was next to a bridge across the river and at sundown, the big event was to stand on the terrace and watch the bats come out.

styckx:simplicimus: styckx: Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

Really not the worst possible outcome.

Bat guano isn't exactly healthy for you.

Especially if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone.

GreenAdder:I think for most country-folk, this has been common knowledge for ages.Now that I'm living in an apartment instead of in the sticks, we still get the occasional bat. It's odd watching people freak out over them. "Do you hate mosquitoes," I'll ask. "Then leave the bat alone."

I don't know WTF is wrong with people... I was telling my neighbors I was going to put a bat box in my yard to help control the mosquitoes and they WIGGED THE FARK OUT. Just the thought of having bats - that they'll probably never even see - in the vicinity was totally unthinkable because they're icky or something. Nevermind that they're harmless and eat pests like a boss...

People can be such quivering pussies about the stupidest things. And apparently dudmitter thinks having bats around is something to use the Florida tag for.

Insectivorous bats are incredible at keeping the bug population under control. One bat eats up to 1,000 mosquitoes, moths, and other nocturnal pests a night, and when it comes to insect-eating bats there's never just one around. Tangling in people's hair? That was a moth, June beetle, or something else, bats are constantly aware of their surroundings and have no interest in your hair. Some carry rabies, yes, but keep your attic bat-proof and don't handle any bats (especially ones you find on the ground) and you'll be fine.

Fun trivia: "flying rodents" is the popular definition of bats, but they're far more closely related to humans than to rodents, and they've been around for tens of millions of years. The largest bat species, the flying fox, has a six-foot wingspan, while the smallest is hummingbird-sized. Only insectivorous bats rely heavily on echolocation; fruit- and nectar-eating bats use sight and smell, carnivorous bats also listen for prey rather than echolocate, and vampire bats hunt using heat-sensing organs in their noses.

KidneyStone:simplicimus: I've got on. Never see the buggers, but can see the guano.

Here in Georgia I just sit on my porch at dusk and see lots of bats.

I swear on my peener that one night I spit off the porch and a bat came within a foot of my face going after it. Scared the bejebus outta me!

Hmmm, it's that time of year where a bahzillion bugs and hundreds of bats can be seen off the porch of Summits Wayside Tavern in Cumming, GA. It's nothing like the bats in Austin, TX; it's just that a lot of bugs are attracted by the lights in the parking lot there and the lights from a billboard across the street and HUNDREDS of bats are out there chowing down.

Whoa there party boy, let's tone it down a little before someone gets hurt.

styckx:Great idea.. Invite them close to your roof line so they can find the slightest entrance into your attic and your fancy new bat house will not have a single fark given about it and your attic will now become home to an entire colony of bats..

A 'good' bat box should be more attractive than your roof. Occasional inspection should allow you to fix any problems.

On rabies - A study on vaccinating bats. It's for vampire bats, not insectivores, but the idea remains the same as vaccination programs for other animals - If you're providing the best shelter in the local area for them, they'll displace the other bats in the area. Spend the money to vaccinate them, like once a year or so, and you don't really need to worry about rabies from them. Plus, keep them from getting sick and they'll do their job even better.

funk_soul_bubby:I used to work for a catalog company that sold these things. From my experience talking to customers, they were basically worthless.

I've heard they work, and can work quite well, however you have to place them just right to work. Basically, they suck the skeeters in from downwind via smell. So if you're upwind from it, it's not going to work. If the wind shifts, it's not going to work. Plus, limited area. So you're actually better off with at least two of them, generally speaking. This helps keep the target area clear even through shifting winds. Putting like 4 around your target clear area can work very well, but gets expensive on the propane. Don't forget to turn them on a bit before the event.

In the end, bats can be cheaper, cover a wider area, and as stated - are organic. You can even get fertilizer for your garden out of them.